PANAJI
Amidst belated action by the State government and MPs to resolve the issue revolving around the revocation of Indian Passports of Bilhete de Identidade or Assento de Nascimento holders, the Ministry of External Affairs has revealed that Indian citizenship of 114 Goans was revoked in the last three years.
This meant that even before the circular came into force, the Central government began cracking down on citizens violating the Passports Act and Citizenship Act.
A reply to an unstarred question tabled in Lok Sabha on Friday stated that out of over 2000 applications received by the Regional Passport Office for surrender of Indian passports -- consequent upon acquisition of Portuguese nationality -- 114 applicants’ Indian passports were revoked.
“There is a well-defined law in place in terms of the Passports Act 1967 and the Citizenship Act 1955 to regulate such cases,” MEA Minister V Muraleedharan said in response to the question by Lok Sabha MP from South Goa Francisco Sardinha.
The Goan MP had sought data on number of Goans and others who have had their passports revoked due to possession of Bilhete de Identidade of Portugal, which they changed to Cartao de Cidadao.
Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade raised the matter last week urging the Central government “to reconsider its decision”.
As per the existing circular dated November 30, 2022, those persons holding foreign nationality and attempting to renew their Indian passport will face revocation of their passports under Section 10 (3) (b) of the Passport Act of 1967.
Since the circular, several applicants who came to the passport office for renewal unaware of the consequences, found their passports revoked with the RPO issuing them a ‘revocation certificate’ instead of a ‘surrender certificate.’
MEA officials already indicated that many applicants might have been misled by agents or ignorantly resorted to continuing with their nationalities’ status or taken advantage of possible loopholes in the law; resulting in the current situation.
However, applicants who followed the law got their applications for surrender of Indian passports accepted by the RPO.
It may be recalled that after much heat was generated regarding the issue Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar were supposed to hold a meeting but it was rescheduled to next week after CM had to leave for the swearing-in ceremony in Rajasthan.
Sawaikar was scheduled to meet Sawant for urgent discussions with the Centre as several locals had raised concerns over the denial of OCI status to those whose Indian passports had been revoked.
